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Sunday, December 04, 2005

FLIGHT OF THE WOLVERINES: The London desk report

Did you all have a good Thanksgiving? I hope so. I did. I feasted on some excellent vegetarian roast and several gallons of cranberry relish.

Right now, I am reporting from the London desk of the mj offices. One of the major perks of being a writer is that you have a certain amount of move-around-ability.


I've been at the London desk a lot this year. This time, I am at the London desk more or less because I had to escape from the New York desk. I'm not saying that anyone actually said, "Finish the new book, or we will send in the wolverines to bite your kneecaps" . . . but I did kind of get that as the undertone of the conversation.

This a good time to go to the London desk. The wolverines cannot swim. Not that far, anyway.

And so! I can report that the new book, still titled Devilish, is in the process of being finished. I stepped out briefly this weekend to do a bit of holiday shopping. Here is a brief photo report on the UK holiday scene:






GREENWICH, HOME OF MEAN TIME.

OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE ICE RINK.

THESE ARE NOT WOLVERINES ON SKATES, TRYING TO GET TO ME. NOR IS IT, AS THE LOCATION MIGHT IMPLY, THE TRAINING SITE FOR THE OLD NAVY OLYMPIC SKATING TEAM. THESE ARE LONDONERS ICE-SKATING FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT.






REGENT STREET, LONDON, 5PM THIS EVENING.

EXTREME FESTIVITUDE IN THE UK.

WHAT YOU CAN'T TELL FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH IS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE ALL SINGING HOLIDAY SONGS TOGETHER, IN HARMONY. WHEN I TOOK THIS PICTURE, THEY HAD JUST GOTTEN TO MARIAH CAREY'S "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU." THAT GUY IN THE FRONT IS DOING LEAD VOCALS.




DISTRICT LINE, LONDON TUBE.

READERS: DO NOT ATTEMPT.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WHILE THAT IS ME LOOKING ON AS A FRIEND HANGS UPSIDE-DOWN FROM THE ROOF OF A MOVING LONDON SUBWAY TRAIN, I AM NOT. I AM SITTING THERE RESPONSBILY, OBSERVING. THINKING. I WAS NOT OFFERING ANY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, NOR WAS I TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MYSELF IN A SMILIAR POSITION. I INCLUDE THIS ONLY TO SHOW YOU WHAT KIND OF HOOLIGAN SHANANGANS LONDONERS GET UP TO WHEN LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES. (SEE ANY CHAPTER INVOLVING KEITH IN "13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES.") IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR HAPPENED, IS IT?

That's all for now. Back to the cup of tea and the writing. Pip pip, etc.!